The Pulitzer Prizes are given out every April to writers and journalists by the Graduate School of Journalism‎. They are named for Joseph Pulitzer, the J-School's founding donor, and were first awarded in 1917. The proper pronunciation of the name Pulitzer is "Pull it, sir," according to administrators of the prize.

Often, Columbia will acclaim alums for having received them, although they're given out by the university itself. Specifically, the Pulitzer Board, which decides the winners, consists of a number of longtime editors and professors, and, ceremonially, the University President.